Music Streaming App – Inside Tech, Feature & Cost

Well, last time we gave you the idea about what it takes to build music streaming app like Spotify!

Haven’t read it already? 

But are you aware of the music streaming app in detail?

There is numerous music streaming apps in the market. The competition is intense. Ever wondered why Spotify is holding onto the top position for so long?

The answer is right here!

Let us take you through the block level details to build music app!

Music Streaming App Categorization

Primarily music streaming apps are categorized into on-demand music streaming and radio stations. Let us tell you more about the music app ideas.

On-Demand Music Streaming

As the name suggests, music apps in this category play audio as per user preference. You can choose what you want to listen to. These music apps collaborate with popular music labels for collections. They also assist with music rights and royalties. Popular music apps like Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, etc. belong to this category.

Radio Stations

Radio stations provide non-interactive music streaming experience to the users. The radio stations play audio which is trending. There is no option for user preference music. Some of the popular radio station apps are Pandora Music and iHeart Radio. The users cannot play music as per their preference. They have the right to skip certain audio.

The brands need to collaborate with SESAC and BMI for licensing rights. The licensing payment is less for radio station apps.

Are you planning for music streaming app development? Is yes, you have landed the right space- on-demand music streaming is your segment.

Having said that, it is important to know what you are up against. Spotify is the king of music apps. It is a pioneer in this segment with its standout features.

How Spotify Came in the Limelight

Spotify rules the music apps sector with its whopping user base and revenue figures. Midia Research stated Spotify user count of 96 million in 2018. That’s staggering 36% hike than 2017 figures.

During the last quarter of 2018 alone, 9 million new subscribers joined the Spotify bandwagon. Premium subscription revenue stood at 4.81 million euros. The ad-supported revenue was 1.17 million euros.

Ever wondered the reason behind its success?

Well! The answer lies in the strategies and user offerings. Spotify did not land on the successful platform overnight. It implemented viable business factors that connected well with the target audience. It evolved well with time to emerge as a market leader.

Technology Baseline For Music Streaming App Development

The technology forms the backbone for music streaming apps. No matter how good that idea looks on paper, it is the technology that determines performance. It is essential to know the technology stack that can build music streaming app, just the way you want it. Also, if you are thinking about how to build a music streaming website and technology for the same, have a look here.

It is important to note that Spotify stores the music in servers. So, when a user requests a track, it is sent to user device directly. The music files are cached in the user devices. Hence there is no need to retrieve them again. This setup is supported by a basic memory caching system, Cassandra and PostgreSQL.

You can use Python and Javascript for technology stack development for your music streaming app. PHP is used to a certain extent on the server side. And, Java is used for backend development. Spotify primarily uses this methodology.

If you want to manage costs and get stunning results, we recommend this technology stack:

• NodeJS can be used for data management and processing in real-time.

• Amazon CloudFront facilitates video streaming across different locations with the help of wide-ranging protocols. They are layered on top of HTTP.

• Another effective addition to the AWS Elemental Media Services is Amazon Content Delivery Network (CDN). It allows effective implementation of two types of video streaming. Firstly, on-demand content streaming that is stored in Amazon S3. It is also known as Amazon Simple Storage Service. Secondly, is live streaming or 24×7 channels.

• Another effective tool for on-demand video streaming is Wowza Video on Demand (VOD) software. Users can stream high-definition videos to any device seamlessly. It supports adaptive playback, content security, and VOD playlist creation.

• AngularJS or ReactJS is useful towards UI/UX design for mobile and desktop app.

• BootStrap or HTML5 is effective for web app development.

• Nginx is good to have a tool as open source HTTP. It also acts like a proxy server.

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Features That Will Make Your Music App Stand Out

Do you know how Spotify made it to the top spot? It’s the music streaming app features. Apart from having an extremely versatile music collection. Let’s look into some of the unique features that this admired music app showcases. 

1. Get Info About What You Hear

Spotify has a triple-dot button in the Now Playing panel. It has a “View Album” and “View Artist” option. The first one shows the album in which the song appears. And, the second option shows more songs from the same artist.

2. Playlist Recovery

Want to listen to a track from a playlist created a while ago? But, accidentally deleted it.

Don’t worry as Spotify can recover your playlist. You just need to sign in to your account in the web client. There is a “Recover Playlists” option in the left panel. You just need to select the playlist of your choice and hit “Recover”. And, hola! You can enjoy your long heard track.

3. Enjoy Music Offline

Yes, that’s true. You can enjoy your favorite music even without an internet connection. This feature is available to the premium subscribers. Users can download up to 10,000 songs. This is effective even when you want to save on your data usage.

Additionally, this can be done in 5 different devices. But your music streaming app development partner must have got enough experience to achieve this. 

4. Hearing Pleasure through High Definition Music

There are two quality levels available for free members. You can enjoy music at 96 Kbps or 160 Kbps. For the premium subscribers, there is another level of streaming available at 320 Kbps. So, if you are a premium Spotify member and happen to have high-quality earphones, you can put that to good use.

It is interesting to see that Spotify takes care of both user types. Whether you are a free or premium member, you get incredible music experience.

5. Playlist Recommendation

This feature showcases personalization at its best. You get music recommendations based on your past music selections and browsing history. This categorization is done based on recent playlists, genres, artists etc. Consequently, users are introduced with new music releases based on their preferences.

When you go on a discussion to build a music apps with your development partner, give enough priority to this feature. We have got immense request for including playlist recommendation feature. It’s definitely highly requested among user as well. 

6. Subscription Tiers

Spotify offers premium subscriptions catering to the different user base. You can opt for a 30-day free trial just to get acquainted with the service. The premium service is available for different time spans. You can through various payment modes available. Also, there is a student plan available at a discounted rate.

Want to share your subscription with your family? Yes! You can do that as well. The subscription can be shared between the prime user and 5 other family members.

It is evident that Spotify caters to the teenage user base. Additionally, it also reaches out to user groups effectively. So if you are going for music streaming app development partner, make sure he is well adept with creating this feature.

7. Multi-Device Support

You can play it anywhere. Be it a speaker, TV, laptop or your phone. You can enjoy your favorite tracks anytime, anywhere!

Spotify touches the user’s music requirements in the most intricate way. The detailed service line and features prove its worthiness for the top position in this segment. Most mid level music app development companies, do give this a miss. But it has to be your best bet. Always ask your development partner to help you with multi device support. Why compromise?

8. Payment Integration

Spotify incorporates seamless payment modes for both Android and iOS platforms. In case of Android, the user gets directed to the in-app browser for making the purchase. Available payment modes are through credit and debit card, UPI and mobile wallet. The payment gateway in this case in BillDesk.

In case of iOS, the users needs to use the web browser for the purchases. Similar payment modes are available in this case and the payment gateway used is Stripe.

How does Spotify Generates Revenue?

Spotify primarily generates revenue through two major channels. They are subscriptions and ads. Apart from that, it earns from artist promotion through albums and songs.

Subscriptions

The premium plan for Spotify allows a host of additional functionalities to its users. You can download and enjoy your favorite tracks offline. Also, you can skip unlimited tracks and play music in high quality. Spotify charges you for these facilities on a per month plan. Additionally, there is a family plan as mentioned earlier, for a group of users.

Spotify gives free trial for initial customer attention and brand recognition.

Advertisements

It is a traditional way of revenue generation from online service. Spotify earns from its freemium service similarly. Users get small banner ads in between audio tracks. The duration of the ads between the tracks is decided as per requirement. If you want to enjoy ad-free music, you need to upgrade to the premium plan.

Promotions

Spotify has a promotional service known as Spotify Ad Studio for artists. They can promote their albums and songs through campaigns. Spotify aids in campaign creation and management for a price. The charges depend on the target selection.

You can have a free estimate if you want to start your own music streaming service with us!

Have You Considered MVP for Music Streaming App Development?

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is the first step towards your music app development. Why? We will show you. It has plenty of business benefits for your app idea… 

Business Viability

How would you know that your music app idea works? MVP is your answer. It helps you test your idea out in the real world.

You can launch an MVP for your music app and get valuable feedback from real users. You can make the necessary changes to the existing app concept. Also, this helps in better implementation of newer features.

Quick Development and Deployment

You can develop MVP with a minimum set of features. Hence, the music streaming app development process takes much less time. It also secures your app idea so that your competitors do not go ahead of you.=

Reduced Development Cost

This comes in as the derivative of the previous pointer. Fewer features mean lesser development cost. For easy testing, omit the advanced features and add-ons in your MVP version.

Minimized Investment Risks

MVP is the prototype for your actual music streaming app. Hence, you can easily test the application without the need for a large investment. Additionally, if the MVP gets a positive response from users, you can plan on further investments for the final product. You will have a market insight to present your investors for the funding.

Are you thinking of an MVP for your music streaming app? We can help you get started on the idea right away.

The Bottomline

Music streaming apps are the ultimate entertainment tools for the new age of millennial and teenagers. Hence, the demand for such music apps is not going to phase out any time soon. This opens up augmented business opportunities for your brand. However, it is important to understand the intricacies of this segment as well as the development cycle of a music app to reap in benefits. This determines the success of quotient and acceptance of the music app among the audience.

Do you have a music app idea in your mind? Want to gain an insight into the music streaming app development trends? Looking to hire music app developers for your idea?

Do you want to understand what works and what doesn’t?

We can help you with your business idea. Just drop in a mail or give us a call!